Engine.



' J. K. GUNN.

ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT, 1,1909.

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7 O {A Q d x I 0 3) 66 r A a 5 Q L HE I Z O Y WITNESSES: B K I INVENTOR Z1 JOHN h GUNN A k 30x 6}? BY ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 29, 1914. w I

J. K. GUNN.

. ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.1, 1909. 1,1 12,287. Patented Sept. 29, 1914.

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W 0 N I Q a l WITNESSES:

INVENTOR JOHN K. GUN/V ATTORNEYS JOHN K. GUNN, 0F UTICA, NEW YORK.

ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 29, 1914:.

Application filed September 1, 1909. Serial No. 515,693.

To all'whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN K. GUNN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Utica, in the county of Oneida and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Engines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

My invention relates to an improved engine, and I declare that the following is a full, clear, concise and exact description thereof, suflicient to enableone skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to like parts throughout.

The invention is shown in the form of a gasolene engine, although it is not restricted in its purpose and scope to such construction. It is, however, particularly adapted for the uses to which a gasolene or like engine is applied, both for its power and arrangement.

The purpose of the invention is to assemble a plurality of cylinders in vertical staggered and overlapping arrangement whereby the shaft of such an engine may be considerably shortened, the thrust economical and advantageous, and strain and cost thereby reduced, at the same time that the power is largely increased. The purpose also is to group the cylinders by different units in various integral castings and to arrange the crank-arms and to time the firing so that the torque be advantageous by the distribution of strain, the firing taking place in cylinders which are not adjacent, but remote, one taking place in each quarter revolution of the shaft. In'other words, the purposes of the invention include compactness of arrangement, distribution of strain, practical continuance of firing and directness of thrust as near as possible parallel to a vertic'al plane through the engine-shaft.

The engine shown is of the four-cycletype, and it will be seen that I provide that each act or operation of the cycle takes place once in a quarter revolution of the shaft. It will also be seen that each of these operations, such as the firing, need not take place at the same instant in the corresponding cylinders; that is, those which are connected to the same crank of the shaft.

Other features of the invention will. applear from the detailed description and in the c rawings, in which Figure 1 is a top plan View of the engine; Fig. 2 is a sectional view, parts being broken away, and showing one of the cylinders in section and the adjacent cylinder partially in section; Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view, showing the axial line of the shaft of the several cylinders and of the piston rods, In this figure lines indicated by 1 to 8 indicate the cylinders so numbered in Fig. 1.

Referring to the figures more in detail, it may be remarked that as the construction and operation of such engines are well known in the art, the common features of such engine are not illustrated or pointed out in detail.

By general frame of an automobile to which the engine may be applied.

13 represents the frame of the engine having eight cylinders, arranged in four pairs and in two sets of pairs, and designated by numerals 1 to 8 inclusive. The engine is provided with suitable carburetor or carburetors shown by C, and has a firing apparatus represented by D with wires (Z and plugs 01.. The firing apparatus D includes means for timing the ignition or firing stroke in the several cylinders. Pipes are provided, shown at E, for feeding fuel, and the exhaust pipe F is provided. Pump G is also provided with pipes H which, with a tank, not shown, forms an apparatus for water cooling of the cylinders.

I represents the fly wheel; J the fan and K a radiator.

10 represents the shaft having cranks indicated at 11.

The-cylinders are arranged in staggered relation to and overlapping each other with the axis of each in a vertical plane at one side of the axis of the shaft, each of the said. planes of the cylinder axes being shown as equi-distant from the axis of the shaft, though not necessarily so, so that on one side. of arranged in a line or lines parallel with the shaft and on the other side of the shaft is a like set so arranged. In other words, the said cylinders are disposed alternately on opposite sides of the vertical plane of the crank shaft, lengthwise of the engine. The stagreference A represents thethe shaft is a set of four cylinders 7 ing the firing strokes as follows,

gored or rhomboidal arrangement of the cylinders enables them to be so disposed that they overlap each other both lengthwise and crosswise of the engine, thereby securing a compact arrangement of the parts. The cranks of the shaft are so placed that to each crank is connected one of the piston-rods at one side of the center and the piston rod of the adjacent cylinder on the opposite side of the center, as is indicated in Fig. 2. In other words, beginning at one end of the engine, the first right-hand and the first lefthand cylinders have their piston rods c0nnccted to a common crank, and the next pair, a rightand a left, are connected to the second crank, and so on, two cylinders being connected to each crank, and a right and a left hand cylinder having their piston rods coupled ona common crank. It is obvious, however, that the crank-arms maybe diiferently arranged and each piston-rod have its own crank-arm at any given quadrant in the circle.

Refering to Fig. 3, which shows one arrangement of'the cranks, it will be seen that, the shaft revolving to the right, cylinders 1 and 2 are respectively at the beginning of firing and intake strokes. The next such operations will occur in cylinders 8 and 7 which are concluding the compression and scavenging strokes. In cylinders 5 and 6 will take place the next firing and intake strokes. Following that such strokes take place in cylinders 3 and 4, then in 2 and 1, then 7 and 8, then in 6 and 5 and then in 4 and 3. In this way the strain on the shaft has been distributed. This is so because, as the engine fires in each quarter revolution of the shaft, before the strain of one ring has been taken up, such strain from another and remote cylinder begins, and the resultis that the torque is more uniform. The order of the firing strokes may be differently arranged, if desired. By arrangthe firing strokes follow in cylinders in different castings: cylinders 1, 8, 3, 5, 2, 7, 4: and 6, successively and the strain is even better disiributed.

One of the following arrangements may be preferred and be accomplished by proper positioning of the crank-arms: Fire 1, 6, 3, 8, i, 7, 2 and 5 in which case the firing takes place in alternate castings: Or the order may be 1, 6, 3, 8, 5, 2, 7 and 4 in which case the firing takes place in cylinders on alternate sides of the shaft. In either such case while the firings take place in one or the other casting alternately, or on one or the other side of the shaft, and in remote cylinders they also, in all but one instance, take place on the opposite side of the shaft, or, in the other case, in alternate cylinders. So that considering the number of firings in a cycle of the engine they take place substantially in different castings and also on different sides. The firing may also take the order of 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 7, 6, and 5.

By assuming that the shaft shown in Fig. 3 reverses to the left, or is reversed to accomplish the same result, it will be seen that the firing may take place in order of cylinders on alternate sides of the shaft, or on a single side of the shaft, from one end to the other, for one-half the cycle of the engine.

In any case or arrangement, a firing takes place in each quarter revolution, and it is evident that before the force of one firing has been lost another firing takes place and the strain on the shaft is more constant.

I have simply illustrated that different arrangements of firing may be made to distribute the strain. But I have, also, shown the benefit in the distribution-of strain both in the several castings and on the shaft. I1" is also evident that there is an advantage in not having too small rou s of cylinders.

There is a further benefit in the fact that the cylinders are vertical and being grouped, as they are, near to the vertical plane passing through the shaft, friction, wear and strain against the cylinder-walls are minimized.

; It will be seen that I have arranged the cylinders in such form as to effect the reatest economy of material and space, eing shown in two groups, those of each group being nested and formed, if desired and as shown, of a single casting. may be arranged in parallel, side by side, and can, if of sufficient number, distribute the several operations of the cycle, such arrangement necessitates a shaft of much greater length, and the distribution of the strain is little saving, since the strain is extended over a longer shaft and causes more wear and dis-arrangement than is compensated by the distribution of the strain. In the arrangement shown, however, the cylinders are grouped or nested so that the power is applied on a much shorter shaft with less bearings and the weight and size of the engine is correspondingly reduced by the compactness of arrangement while nothing is lost in power, but rather efficiency and steadiness are gained by the arrangement of the cylinders so closely to the vertical plane of the shaft axis, and still at one side thereof so as to efiect the greatest purchase.

I am aware that various suggestions have been made as to the arrangement of the cylinders and of the crank-arms on the shaft. It has been proposed to put the cylinders in two lines on opposite sides of the shaft, the axes of the sets of cylinders being in planes at 60 degrees or degrees to each other. The crank-arms have been shown as arranged at 180 degrees successively to each other, with a piston on each side of the shaft bearing on the same crank-arm. Or

While cylinders the pistons have separate cranks. But in none of these cases has the strain been so distributed in such advantageous manner as l have accomplished.

. There is a further disadvantage in having the cylinders placed at an oblique angle to the vertical plane of the shaft. By having them vertical wear on the cylinder walls and on the pistons and the packing is minimized. Again in such arrangement the firing stroke from one cylinder has self before the force of the following fire has begun, while by the arrangement of vertical cylinders one firing stroke speedily reinforces the efiort of the preceding stroke.

lln other instances, wherein the cylinders have been vertical, the piston-rod of one cylinder has been connected with the rodof the adjacent cylinder, the action in the two cylinders being simultaneous at any given point in the cycle. But no such constructions embody the same economy of space, so great efficiency in the reinforcement of the firing strokes, such even distribution of strain nor such reduction of frictiizn and wear, as results from the improvements herein shown. 4

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with a crank shaft provided with a plurality of cranks angularly disposed with relation to each other, of a plurality of cylinder units each consisting of a casting comprising a plurality of vertical cylinder bores forming working cylinder chambers, said bores being staggered with relation to each other so that lines joining points on the axes thereof will form a rhomboid, and the axes of said bores or chambers being alternately disposed on opposite sides of the vertical plane of the crank shaft.

2. In an internal combustion engine, combination with a crank shaft provided with a plurality of cranks so disposed with relation'to each other as to provide an arrangement thereof in which the cranks will be 90 apart, of a plurality of cylinder units each consisting of a casting comprising a plurality of vertical cylinder bores forming working cylinderchambers, said bores being staggered with relation to each other so that lines joining points on the axes thereof will been made to operate upon l largely expended it form a rhomboid, and the axes of said bores or chambers being alternately disposed on opposite sides of the vertical plane of the crank shaft.

3. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with a crank shaft provided with a plurality of cranks angularly dis= posed with relation to each other, of a plurality of cylinder units each consisting of a casting comprising a plurality of vertical cylinder bores forming working cylinder chambers, said bores being staggered with relation to each other so that lines joining points on the axes thereof will form a rhomboid, and the axes of said bores or chambers being alternately disposed on opposite sides of the vertical plane of the crank shaft, pistons working in said cylinder chambers, and piston rods connecting said cranks and pistons.

4. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with a crank shaft provided with a plurality of cranks angularly disposed with relation to each other, of a plurality of vertical cylinder bores forming working cylinder chambers, said bores being staggered with relation to and overlapping each other so that lines joining points on the axes thereof will form a rhomboid, and the said cylinder chambers being so disposed that their axes will be on opposite sides of the vertical, plane of the said crank shaft.

5. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with a crank shaft provided with a plurality of cranks angularly disposed with relation to each other, of a plurality of vertical cylinder bores forming working cylinder chambers, said bores being staggered with relation to and overlapping each other so that lines joining points on the axes thereof will form a rhomboid, and the said cylinder chambers being so disposed that h their axes will be on opposite sides of the t e vertical plane of the said crank shaft, pistons working on said cylinder chambers,

and piston rods connecting said cranks and pistons.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN K. GUNN.

Witnesses:

ELEANOR T. DE GIoRcI, T. L. Wnmm. 

